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Tissue profiling technologies present opportunities for understanding transition from precancerous lesions to malignancy, which may impact risk stratification, prevention, and even cancer treatment. A human precancer atlas (PCA) building effort is ongoing to tackle the significant challenge of decoding the heterogeneity among cells, specimens, and patients. Here, we discuss the findings resulting from atlases built across precancer types, including those found in colon, breast, lung, stomach, cervix, and skin, using bulk, single-cell, and spatial profiling strategies. We highlight two main themes that emerge across precancer types: the ordering of molecular events that occur during tumor progression and the fluctuation of microenvironmental response during precancer progression. We further highlight the key challenges of data integration across large cohorts of patients, and the need for computational tools to reliably annotate and quality control high-volume, high-dimensional data.

BACKGROUND: Students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) often demonstrate difficulties that impact their successful return to school (RTS). OBJECTIVE: To explore injury severity, age at injury, and time since injury as predictors for performance on measures of cognitive, social and health functioning for students’ participating in a formal RTS cohort at the time of their enrollment in the School Transition After Traumatic Brain Injury (STATBI) research project. METHODS: Outcome measures across cognitive, social, and health domains were analyzed for association with the explanatory variables of interest using quantile regressions and ordinary least squares regression, as appropriate. RESULTS: Students (N = 91) injured after age 13 showed significantly lower cognitive outcomes than students whose injury occurred earlier. Additionally, students more than one-year post-injury demonstrated poorer social outcome on one measure compared to students whose injury occurred more recently. Health outcomes showed no significant association to any predictors. CONCLUSION: The results of this analysis provide a baseline for a group of students with TBI as they enter a RTS research study. This data can now be paired with longitudinal measures and qualitative data collected simultaneously to gain a deeper understanding of how students with TBI present for RTS.

There are two main challenges in completing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection. One is the small Raman scattering cross-section of methanol, and the other is the derivatization strategy. They were solved by coupling the catalytic strategy with a thermal purge separation and enrichment device. In this study, quantitative analysis of methanol in alcoholic beverages was performed as methanol was catalyzed to formaldehyde. For detecting methanol in low-alcohol beverages, the acetaldehyde derivatives generated by the interaction of ethanol-catalyzed oxide acetaldehyde with 3-methyl 2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone hydrochloride hydrate (MBTH) during the catalytic process will not cause large interference with the SERS signal of formaldehyde. In this case, MBTH with higher sensitivity is selected for the derivatization operation. In the analysis of methanol in high-alcohol beverages, acetylacetonate derivatization without interaction with acetaldehyde was used to avoid the interference of the acetaldehyde generated from ethanol. Based on the detection of formaldehyde in methanol standard solutions, methanol was detected in wine and sake as well as in high-alcohol beverages. Thus, a convenient and rapid method was achieved for the detection of methanol in alcoholic beverages.

Complex and tedious sample preparation processes have greatly limited rapid analyses of biological samples. In this work, an all-in-one sample preparation strategy based on a miniaturized gas membrane separation/oven ring enrichment (GMS/ORE) device was developed for efficient surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analyses of trace biomarkers in biofluid samples. This strategy integrating gasification separation, liquid trapping, derivatization SERS activation, and coffee-ring enrichment could highly promote the efficiency of sample preparation. Meanwhile, the edges of membranes modified by the hydrophobic-infusing slippery liquid-induced uniform "coffee-ring" effect could significantly improve the sensitivity and stability for SERS quantification. By adapting proper derivatization approaches to the miniaturized GMS/ORE pretreatment, the matrix effects in samples could be prominently eliminated, and clear SERS responses could be obtained for the selective analyses of target biomarkers. The miniaturized GMS/ORE device was practically applied for SERS analyses of trace biomarkers in biofluids, including hydrogen sulfide in saliva samples, creatinine in serum samples, and sarcosine, creatinine, and dimethyl disulfide in urine samples. Accurate quantification of all biomarkers was achieved with recoveries of 89.5%-120.0%, and the contents found by GMS/ORE-SERS matched well with those found by corresponding chromatographic methods with relative errors from -8.6% to 9.3%. The miniaturized GMS/ORE device with multiple parallel processing units could simultaneously treat eight samples in one run with a total analysis time of 40 min. Such an efficient all-in-one strategy integrated on a miniaturized device possesses great potential for fast on-site/point-of-care detection in analytical science and clinical medicine.

Communication of the benefits and harms of blood pressure lowering strategy is crucial for shared decision-making.To quantify the effect of intensive versus standard systolic blood pressure lowering in terms of the number of event-free days DESIGN: Post hoc analysis of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial PARTICIPANTS: A total of 9361 adults 50 years or older without diabetes or stroke who had a systolic blood pressure of 130-180 mmHg and elevated cardiovascular risk INTERVENTIONS: Intensive (systolic blood pressure goal120 mmHg) versus standard blood pressure lowering (140 mmHg) MAIN MEASURES: Days free of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), serious adverse events (SAE), and monitored adverse events (hypotension, syncope, bradycardia, electrolyte abnormalities, injurious falls, or acute kidney injury) over a median follow-up of 3.33 years KEY RESULTS: The intensive treatment group gained 14.7 more MACE-free days over 4 years (difference, 14.7 [95% confidence interval: 5.1, 24.4] days) than the standard treatment group. The benefit of the intensive treatment varied by cognitive function (normal: difference, 40.7 [13.0, 68.4] days; moderate-to-severe impairment: difference, -15.0 [-56.5, 26.4] days; p-for-interaction=0.009) and self-rated health (excellent: difference, -22.7 [-51.5, 6.1] days; poor: difference, 156.1 [31.1, 281.2] days; p-for-interaction=0.001). The mean overall SAE-free days were not significantly different between the treatments (difference, -14.8 [-35.3, 5.7] days). However, the intensive treatment group had 28.5 fewer monitored adverse event-free days than the standard treatment group (difference, -28.5 [-40.3, -16.7] days), with significant variations by frailty status (non-frail: difference, 38.8 [8.4, 69.2] days; frail: difference, -15.5 [-46.6, 15.7] days) and self-rated health (excellent: difference, -12.9 [-45.5, 19.7] days; poor: difference, 180.6 [72.9, 288.4] days; p-for-interaction0.001).Over 4 years, intensive systolic blood pressure lowering provides, on average, 14.7 more MACE-free days than standard treatment, without any difference in SAE-free days. Whether this time-based effect summary improves shared decision-making remains to be elucidated.ClinicalTrials.gov Registration: NCT01206062.

DNA is a universal and programmable signal of living organisms. Here we developed cell-based DNA sensors by engineering the naturally competent bacteriumBacillus subtilis(B. subtilis) to detect specific DNA sequences in the environment. The DNA sensor strains can identify diverse bacterial species including major human pathogens with high specificity and sensitivity. Multiplexed detection of genomic DNA from different species in complex samples can be achieved by coupling the sensing mechanism to orthogonal fluorescent reporters. We also demonstrate that the DNA sensors can detect the presence of species in the complex samples without requiring DNA extraction. The modularity of the living cell-based DNA sensing mechanism and simple detection procedure could enable programmable DNA sensing for broad applications.

Background People with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) are at increased risk for comorbidities, and plasma interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels are among the most robust predictors of these outcomes. Tocilizumab (TCZ) blocks the receptor for IL-6, inhibiting functions of this cytokine. Methods This was a 40-week, placebo-controlled, crossover trial (NCT02049437) where PWH on stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) were randomized to receive 3 monthly doses of TCZ or matching placebo intravenously. Following a 10-week treatment period and a 12-week washout, participants were switched to the opposite treatment. The primary endpoints were safety and posttreatment levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and CD4+ T-cell cycling. Secondary endpoints included changes in inflammatory indices and lipid levels. Results There were 9 treatment-related toxicities of grade 2 or greater during TCZ administration (mostly neutropenia) and 2 during placebo administration. Thirty-one of 34 participants completed the study and were included in a modified intent-to-treat analysis. TCZ reduced levels of CRP (median decrease, 1819.9 ng/mL, P < .0001; effect size, 0.87) and reduced inflammatory markers in PWH, including D-dimer, soluble CD14, and tumor necrosis factor receptors. T-cell cycling tended to decrease in all maturation subsets after TCZ administration, but was only significant among naive CD4 T cells. Lipid levels, including lipid classes that have been related to cardiovascular disease risk, increased during TCZ treatment. Conclusions TCZ is safe and decreases inflammation in PWH; IL-6 is a key driver of the inflammatory environment that predicts morbidity and mortality in ART-treated PWH. The clinical significance of lipid elevations during TCZ treatment requires further study.

Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are conditions arising from abnormal immune reactions to autoantigens, which can be defined as the loss of immune tolerance to autoantigens, causing the production of autoantibodies and subsequent inflammation and tissue injury. The etiology of AIDs remains elusive, which may involve both genetic and environmental factors, such as diet, drugs, and infections. Despite rapid progress in the treatment of autoimmune diseases over the past few decades, there is still no approach that can cure AIDs. As an alternative approach, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) such as acupuncture has been used in an attempt to treat AIDs including multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the results have proven to be quite promising, despite the fact that its mechanism is still not fully understood. In this review, the present knowledge regarding mechanisms of acupuncture in the treatment of AIDs has been summarized, and deeper insights will be provided in order to better understand how acupuncture may regulate immune responses during AIDs.

The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) results have influenced clinical practice but have also generated discussion regarding the validity, generalizability and importance of the findings. Following the SPRINT primary results manuscript in 2015, additional results and analyses of the data have addressed these concerns. The primary objective of this manuscript is to respond to key questions that have been raised. The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) demonstrated the effectiveness of treating SBP to levels well below those previously recommended in US and European BP guidelines.(1) The SPRINT results have informed guideline committees in recommending treatment to SBP targets lower than previously advised.(2–4) However, some of the SPRINT findings have generated discussion, and questions have been raised regarding their application in clinical practice. These include generalizability, validity of the outcome measures (especially heart failure), the methods used for event ascertainment, the effect size of the intervention benefit, and safety and tolerability of the

In this study, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybridized high internal phase emulsions were developed and polymerized as porous carriers for aptamer (5’/5AmMC6/-AGT CCG TGG TAG GGC AGG TTG GGG TGA CT-3’) modification to enrich human α-thrombin from serum. The structure and properties of the materials were confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). The adsorption ability and selectivity were studied and the thrombin was detected with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS). The adsorption of thrombin onto the sorbent was achieved within 30 min and the desorption was realized using 5.0 mL of acetonitrile/water (80/20, v/v). The thrombin was quantified by LC–MS according to its characteristic peptide sequence of ELLESYIDGR.

Purpose As an emerging visualization technology, virtual reality (VR) falls into the dilemma of having great potential but a low adoption degree in the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. However, few studies paid attention to studying barriers affecting VR’s adoption and their inner mechanisms. This makes AEC users hard to catch the key points for VR’s implementations. This study aims to get a clear structure of these barriers and provide insights for the improvement.Design/methodology/approach First, 12 major VR-AEC adoption barriers were identified by a systematic literature review and expert interviews (EI). Second, EI and similarity aggregation method were conducted to achieve reliable barrier relationships. Third, interpretive structural modeling was used to establish a multi-level model for barriers. Finally, ten crucial barriers were targeted with a comprehensive strategy framework.Findings The findings help AEC stakeholders get a thorough understanding of the VR-AEC adoption barriers. Besides, the inner mechanism among barriers is revealed and analyzed, followed by a systematic strategy framework. It is anticipated that users could conduct more effective VR-AEC promotions in the future.Originality/value This paper is the first to propose a comprehensive literature review on the VR-AEC adoption barriers. In addition, this paper is novel in building a hierarchy model that explores barriers’ inner mechanism, where structural strategies are proposed.

Gait deficits are often persistent after stroke, and current rehabilitation methods do not restore normal gait for everyone. Targeted methods of focused gait therapy that meet the individual needs of each stroke survivor are needed. Our objective was to develop and test a combination protocol of simultaneous brain stimulation and focused stance phase training for people with chronic stroke (>6 months). We combined Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) with targeted stance phase therapy using Virtual Reality (VR)-assisted treadmill training and overground practice. The training was guided by motor learning principles. Five users (>6 months post-stroke with stance phase gait deficits) completed 10 treatment sessions. Each session began with 30 min of VR-assisted treadmill training designed to apply motor learning (ML)-based stance phase targeted practice. During the first 15 min of the treadmill training, bihemispheric tDCS was simultaneously delivered. Immediately after, users completed 30 min of overground (ML)-based gait training. The outcomes included the feasibility of protocol administration, gait speed, Timed Up and Go (TUG), Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), paretic limb stance phase control capability, and the Fugl–Meyer for lower extremity coordination (FMLE). The changes in the outcome measures (except the assessments of stance phase control capability) were calculated as the difference from baseline. Statistically and clinically significant improvements were observed after 10 treatment sessions in gait speed (0.25 ± 0.11 m/s) and FGA (4.55 ± 3.08 points). Statistically significant improvements were observed in TUG (2.36 ± 3.81 s) and FMLE (4.08 ± 1.82 points). A 10-session intervention combining tDCS and ML-based task-specific gait rehabilitation was feasible and produced clinically meaningful improvements in lower limb function in people with chronic gait deficits after stroke. Because only five users tested the new protocol, the results cannot be generalized to the whole population. As a contribution to the field, we developed and tested a protocol combining brain stimulation and ML-based stance phase training for individuals with chronic stance phase deficits after stroke. The protocol was feasible to administer; statistically and/or clinically significant improvements in gait function across an array of gait performance measures were observed with this relatively short treatment protocol.

The development of sensitive fluorescence sensors and efficient preparation of samples is a challenge in the detection of pesticides in complex samples. In this study, multicolor nitrogen dots (M-Ndots) were synthesised via microwave irradiation at 140 °C for 10 min with 5-amino-1H-tetrazole and p-phenylenediamine as precursors, which have a high fluorescence quantum yield of up to 31%. Furthermore, the M-Ndots were employed as fluorescence sensors for pesticide detection by being combined with a gas membrane separation device, to eliminate the interference from the complex sample matrix. In this process, the M-Ndots were used for sensing thiram and chlorpyrifos through their affinities to Cu2+ and Fe3+, respectively. Because thiram could decompose into volatile CS2, its derivate was sensed using the fluorescence of M-Ndots via a complexation reaction with Cu2+. Chlorpyrifos, due to its volatility, can reduce the Fe3+ ion by inhibiting the activity of acetylcholinesterase, which produces H2O2 to oxidise Fe2+. In a real application, the time consumption for 96 samples was less than 30 min in one run of the gas membrane separation device. The recoveries for thiram and chlorpyrifos ranged from 90.0% to 115.0%, and the analytical results were validated using LC-MS/MS methods, with relative errors ranging from −7.4% to 10.1%.

In this work, graphene oxide-hybridized high internal emulsion polymers with crosslinking and open-cell structure was prepared and applied for separation and enrichment of estrogens. The prepared graphene oxide-hybridized high internal emulsion polymer monoliths had hydrophobicity, porosity and stability, which were just obtained by one step in-situ emulsion polymerization of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, and divinylbenzene after doping with graphene oxide. Benefit from the advantages of its unique character, the graphene oxide-hybridized high internal emulsion polymers monolith with low background pressure (85 kPa) and high mechanical strength could be applied for efficient separation for trace estrogens in urine. Under the optimized condition, trace estrogens, including estrone, estradiol, and diethylstilbestrol in urine, were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography, all the sample preparation process were carried out in 15 min, the recovery rate was ranged from 85.0 to 106.0% and the relative standard deviation was less than 4.

Objective Stereotactic ablation (cingulotomy) and subcallosal cingulate deep brain stimulation (SCC DBS) of different regions of the cingulum bundle (CB) have been successfully used to treat psychiatric disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder. They are hypothesized to work by disrupting white matter pathways involved in the clinical manifestation of these disorders. This study aims to compare the connectivity of different CB subregions using tractography to evaluate stereotactic targets for the treatment of mood disorders. Methods Fourteen healthy volunteers underwent 3T-MR imaging followed by connectivity analysis using probabilistic tractography. Twenty-one anatomic regions of interest were defined for each subject: 10 CB subregions (including the classical cingulotomy and SCC DBS targets) and 11 cortical/subcortical structures implicated in mood disorders. Connectivity results were compared using Friedman and Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc Wilcoxon tests. Results CB connectivity showed a high degree of regional specificity. Both of the traditional stereotactic targets had widespread connectivity with discrete topology. The cingulotomy target connected primarily to the dorsomedial frontal, dorsal anterior cingulate, and posterior cingulate cortices, whereas the SCC DBS target connected mostly to the subgenual anterior cingulate and medial/central orbitofrontal cortices. However, a region of the rostral dorsal CB, lying between these surgical targets, encompassed statistically equivalent connections to all five cortical regions. Conclusions The CB is associated with brain structures involved in affective disorders, and the rostral dorsal CB demonstrates connectivity that is comparable to the combined connectivity of cingulotomy and SCC DBS neurosurgical interventions. The rostral dorsal CB represents a surgical target worthy of clinical exploration for mood disorders.

Although robot assistance can facilitate the advantages of minimally invasive surgery, it is unclear whether it offers benefits in settings in which laparoscopic surgery has been established as the standard of care.To examine the comparative effectiveness of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (RALRN) and laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) using a nationwide data set.8316 adults who underwent RALRN or LRN for non-urothelial renal cancer from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2010 to 2013.RALRN and LRN.The associations of surgical approach with perioperative outcomes and total hospital costs were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression.Over the study period, utilization of RALRN increased from 46% to 69%. Compared to LRN, RALRN was associated with lower rates of intraoperative (0.9% vs 1.8%; p0.001) and postoperative complications (20.4% vs 27.2%; p0.001), but there were no differences in perioperative blood transfusion (5.6% vs 6.2%; p=0.27) and prolonged hospitalization (7.2% vs 7.1%; p=0.81). RALRN was also significantly associated with higher total hospital costs (median $16 207 vs $15 037; p0.001). In multivariable analyses, RALRN remained independently associated with a lower risk of intraoperative (odds ratio [OR] 0.50; p=0.001) and postoperative complications (OR 0.72; p0.001) but not perioperative blood transfusion (OR 1.10; p=0.34), and with a higher risk of prolonged hospitalization (OR 1.29; p=0.007) and higher mean total hospital costs (+$1468; p0.001). There was no effect modification by hospital volume.Although RALRN was independently associated with a reduction in perioperative complications compared to LRN, it was associated with prolonged hospitalization and higher total hospital costs. These relationships must be interpreted in light of potential differences in case mix.Although robot-assisted laparoscopic radical nephrectomy was independently associated with a reduction in perioperative complications compared to laparoscopic radical nephrectomy, it was associated with prolonged hospitalization and higher total hospital costs.

Owing to the remarkable physicochemical properties such as hydrophobicity, conductivity, elasticity, and light weight, graphene-based materials have emerged as one of the most appealing carbon allotropes in materials science and chemical engineering. Unfortunately, pristine graphene materials lack functional groups for further modification, severely hindering their practical applications. To render graphene materials with special characters for different applications, graphene oxide or reduced graphene oxide has been functionalized with different organic agents and assembled together, via covalent binding and various noncovalent forces such as π-π interaction, electrostatic interaction, and hydrogen bonding. In this review, we briefly discuss the state-of-the-art synthetic strategies and properties of organic-functionalized graphene-based materials, and then, present the prospective applications of organic-functionalized graphene-based materials in sample preparation.

BackgroundTechnologies that enhance motor learning-based therapy and are clinically deployable may improve outcome for those with neurological deficits. The MyoPro™ is a customized myoelectric upper extremity orthosis that utilizes volitionally generated weak electromyographic signals from paretic muscles to assist movement of an impaired arm. Our purpose was to evaluate MyoPro as a tool for motor learning-based therapy for individuals with chronic upper limb weakness.MethodsThis was a pilot study of thirteen individuals with chronic moderate/severe arm weakness due to either stroke (n = 7) or TBI (n = 6) who participated in a single group interventional study consisting of 2 phases. The in-clinic phase included 18 sessions (2x per week, 27hrs of face-to-face therapy) plus a home exercise program. The home phase included practice of the home exercise program. The study did not include a control group. Outcomes were collected at baseline and at weeks 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, and 18. Statistics included mixed model regression analysis.ResultsStatistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements were observed on Fugl-Meyer (+7.5 points). Gains were seen at week 3, increased further through the in-clinic phase and were maintained during the home phase. Statistically significant changes in Modified Ashworth Scale, Range of Motion, and Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory were seen early during the in-clinic phase. Orthotic and Prosthetic User's Survey demonstrated satisfaction with the device throughout study participation. Both stroke and TBI participants responded to the intervention.ConclusionsUse of MyoPro in motor learning-based therapy resulted in clinically significant gains with a relatively short duration of in-person treatment. Further studies are warranted.Clinical Trial Registrationwww.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03215771.

Aerobic glycolysis plays a key role in cancer cell metabolism and contributes to tumorigenesis, including that of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA), an active compound of

Our HTAN (Human Tumor Atlas Network) study presented in Chen et al. documented single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data on 128 human colonic specimens for mapping out distinct paths for polyp to cancer transformations. What we have not detailed is our optimizations on the droplet-based scRNA-seq approach that generate high quality data from challenging tissues such as the colonic epithelium. In this work, we provide a systematic dissection of tissue processing and microfluidic encapsulation factors that affect data quality generated on colonic epithelial cells using an open droplet-based scRNA-seq platform (inDrops). We optimized our process based on these factors to significantly decrease dying cell bodies and ambient RNA from being co-encapsulated with true cells, which led to the development of the current scRNA-seq protocol used for human specimens. We have also developed pre-filtering data metrics to score data quality stemming from degree of ambient contamination. We envision that these experimental optimizations reduce the amount of introduced artifacts, leading to more rigorous biological interpretations. Citation Format: Deronisha L. Arceneaux, Zhengyi Chen, Joey Simmons, Bob Chen, Cody Heiser, Yanwen Xu. The effects of tissue processing and microfluidic factors on single-cell RNA-sequencing data quality in colorectal tissues [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Colorectal Cancer; 2022 Oct 1-4; Portland, OR. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(23 Suppl_1):Abstract nr B031.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and their composites have been applied in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection methods, owing to their stable and excellent surface plasmon resonance. Unfortunately, methods for synthesizing AuNPs often require harsh conditions and complicated external steps. Additionally, removing residual surfactants or unreacted reductants is critical for improving the sensitivity of SERS detection, especially when employing AuNPs-assembled multidimensional substrates. In this study, we propose a simple and green method for AuNPs synthesis via photoreduction, which does not require external surfactant additives or stabilizers. All the processes were completed within 20 min. Along this way, only methanol was employed as the electron acceptor. Based on this photoreduction synthesis strategy, AuNPs can be directly and circularly assembled in situ in multidimensional substrates for SERS detection. The removal of residual methanol was easy because of its low boiling point. This strategy was employed for the preparation of three different dimensional SERS substrates: filter paper@AuNPs, g-C

In this study, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybridized high internal phase emulsions were developed and polymerized as porous carriers for aptamer (5'/5AmMC6/-AGT CCG TGG TAG GGC AGG TTG GGG TGA CT-3') modification to enrich human α-thrombin from serum. The structure and properties of the materials were confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). The adsorption ability and selectivity were studied and the thrombin was detected with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The adsorption of thrombin onto the sorbent was achieved within 30 min and the desorption was realized using 5.0 mL of acetonitrile/water (80/20, v/v). The thrombin was quantified by LC-MS according to its characteristic peptide sequence of ELLESYIDGR.

A method for the analysis of 12 semi-volatile pesticide residues in vegetables was developed by miniaturized thermal-assisted purge-and-trap coupled with ultra high pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Under the optimized conditions, the sample preparation could be completed within 10 min. The linear relationships of the 12 semi-volatile pesticide residues were good within their corresponding concentration ranges. The correlation coefficients were in range of 0.9918-0.9997. The limits of detection and limits of quantification were in range of 0.3-1.3 μg/kg and 1.0-4.3 μg/kg, respectively. The recoveries ranged from 80.0% to 120.0%, with intra-day and inter-day RSDs of less than 10%. This proposed method is quick and simple, and is suitable for the simultaneous and rapid analysis of semi-volatile pesticide residues in vegetables.

In this paper, we present a coded aperture snapshot linear-Stokes imaging spectropolarimeter (CASSIS) based on a combination of coded aperture spectral imager and a division-of-focal-plane polarization camera. The CASSIS achieves aperture coding with a digital micromirror device (DMD) first, and then encodes polarization state using the polarization camera. Finally, the camera gets the coded polarization spatio-spectral image at a single snapshot. Linear-Stokes spectral images are estimated with sparsity-constrained optimization from the acquired image. The principle and feasibility are validated with simulations. It is noted that a modest peak-signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) is recovered with a single snapshot, and higher PSNR is obtained with multiple snapshots.

It remains a significant challenge for fast and high-throughput detection of trace analytes in complex samples with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) strategy due to the severe interference from matrices. In this work, a miniaturized array gas membrane separation (AGMS) device coupled with SERS was designed and drew up to eliminate matrix influence and improve the reproducibility of SERS signal during real sample analysis. The design of miniaturized AGMS tube was optimized based on quantitative calculation of its air permeability by computational fluid dynamics simulation. A 10 mm height tube was selected as an optimized design with a recovery of 98.3% for acetaldehyde. The practical feasibility of miniaturized AGMS was validated based on the applications in biochemical analysis and food analysis, such as albuminuria and acetaldehyde in urine sample and metaldehyde and thiram in food samples. The results showed that SERS responses of all analytes dramatically increased by eliminating sample matrices after miniaturized AGMS process. Acetaldehyde, albuminuria, metaldehyde and thiram in real samples could be accurately quantified with recoveries of 82.0–123.3%, and the analytical results were validated by corresponding standard methods with relative error ranging from −4.8% to 5.3%. Time consumption of miniaturized AGMS-SERS for one real sample analysis including sample preparation and determination was less than 20 min and could treat 96 samples with 45 min in one run. It is potential that the miniaturized AGMS technique automated by implementation with a robotic arm could greatly expand the range and accelerate the speed of SERS analysis.

Innovation in gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) preparation is fundamental for realization of various functionalities. Thus, the development of robust strategies for synthesizing AuNPs is attractive. Herein, we experimentally demonstrate a facile method for AuNPs synthesis based on two-dimensional semiconductor molybdenum oxide (MoO3), combined with a photochemical process. In this synthesis route, MoO3 nanosheets are used as electron carriers and sacrificial templates to direct the wet-chemical epitaxial growth of AuNPs under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation without requiring another chemical reducing agent or stabilizer. The as-synthesized AuNPs were extensively characterized to investigate their formation mechanism. As a proof of concept, as-synthesized AuNPs were employed as homogeneous surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrate to construct a detection platform for malachite green (MG) pigment. The SERS detection method was also evaluated by quantitative analysis of MG in real fish samples. We believe that templating with MoO3 nanosheets and using UV-assisted photochemical reduction to prepare AuNPs via a wet-chemical reaction is a promising strategy, which is expected to be applicable to the production of other novel noble metal functional nanomaterials.

In this work, a porous capillary monolithic column was simply prepared by in situ thiol-alkyne click polymerization of dipentaerythritol hexakis (3-mercaptopropionate) and dimethyl dipropargylmalonate in fused-silica capillary. The capillary monolithic column shows excellent permeability, high porosity, and thoiether-rich groups, thereby, a high-efficient capacity for trace estrogens from complex samples are obtained via electron-donor-acceptor π-π interaction and hydrophobic interaction. The highest adsorption efficiency for estrogens is achieved at pH = 7.0 with a flow rate of 0.200 mL min

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI., Lenticular galaxies (S0s) were considered mainly as passive evolved spirals due to environmental effects for a long time; however, most S0s in the field cannot fit into this common scenario. In this work, we study one special case, Sloan Digital Sky Survey J120237.07+642235.3 (PGC 38025), a star-forming field S0 galaxy with an off-nuclear blue core. We present optical integral field spectroscopic observation with the 3.5 meter telescope at Calar Alto Observatory, and high-resolution millimeter observation with the NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array. We estimated the star formation rate (SFR = 0.446 M o? yr-1) and gaseous metallicity (12 + log(O/H) = 8.42) for PGC 38025, which follows the star formation main sequence and stellar mass-metallicity relation. We found that the ionized gas and cold molecular gas in PGC 38025 show the same spatial distribution and kinematics, while rotating misaligned with stellar component. The off-nuclear blue core is locating at the same redshift as PGC 38025 and its optical spectrum suggest it is H ii region. We suggest that the star formation in PGC 38025 is triggered by a gas-rich minor merger, and the off-nuclear blue core might be a local star formation happened during the accretion/merger process. © 2021. The Author(s)., This work is supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFA0402703) and by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11733002). This work is based on observations carried out with the IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany) and IGN (Spain). In addition, we acknowledge the supports of the staffs from CAHA and NOEMA, especially Orsolya Feher. R.G.B. acknowledges financial support from the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the "Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa" award to the Instituto de Astrofsica de Andalucia (SEV-2017-0709) and grants PID2019-109067GB-I00 and P18FRJ-2595.

Surface wettability greatly influences the adsorptive, catalytic, and diffuse performances of a porous material. To realize the improved adsorption performance to hydrophilic heterocyclic amines (HAs), polymeric high internal phase emulsions (polyHIPEs) that can be tuned from hydrophobic to hydrophilic is synthesized by facilely regulating the amount of metal organic frameworks (MOFs). The water contact angle of the MOFs and polyHIPEs hybrids (MOFs@polyHIPEs) decreases from 133° to 0° as the amount of amide-modified MOFs increases from 0% to 10%. The hydrophilization of divinybenzene (DVB) based polyHIPEs by MOFs hybridization significantly enhances their adsorption performance and enables them to be suitable for the solid phase extraction (SPE) of hydrophilic HAs. Under the optimized conditions, the MOFs@polyHIPEs achieve adsorption capacities ranging from 42.89 to 86.71 µg/g for HAs through the π-π interaction and hydrogen bonding. The adsorption follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the nitrogen atoms in/on the imidazole ring are identified as the active adsorption sites for hydrogen bonding. This SPE method, along with HPLC-MS detection, provides detection limits of HAs as low as 0.00020-0.00040 ng/mL. This work offers a feasible strategy in tuning the surface wettability of polyHIPEs without post-modification to achieve high-efficiency enrichment and analysis of HAs.

Emerging data supports a potential role of neurotensin (NT) in the development of obesity, obesity-associated comorbidities, and certain cancers. The association of NT with colon cancer risk has not been explicitly explored. We determined plasma levels of pro-NT, a stable NT precursor fragment, in 223 incident colon cancer patients and 223 age-, gender-, BMI-matched population controls participating in a population-based case–control study of colon cancer. On average, the cases have significantly higher levels of pro-NT than the controls (median = 205.6 pmol/L vs 183.1 pmol/L, respectively; P = 0.02). Multivariate logistic regression models, adjusted for age, gender, BMI, family history of colorectal cancer, smoking, diabetes mellitus, alcohol, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use, show statistically significant risk associations: for continuous measure of pro-NT, the OR estimate was 1.30 (95% CI =1.03–1.64; P = 0.026) for each increment of 175 pmol/L; for dichotomized measure of pro-NT, the OR estimate was 1.75 (95% CI = 1.12–2.74; P = 0.025) for those in the top quartile comparing to the other participants. Our results support circulating levels of pro-NT as a novel risk biomarker for colon cancer.

To investigate if the association between dietary inflammatory potential and colorectal adenoma (CRA) is modified by race and factors known to modulate inflammation. We examined effect measure modification of race, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cigarette smoking and body mass index (BMI) on the diet-CRA association by employing energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII™) to characterize dietary inflammatory potential among 587 cases and 1,313 controls participating in a colonoscopy screening-based cross-sectional study of CRA. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire from which E-DII score was derived. E-DII score was calculated from 34 food parameters (constituents), utilizing an energy-adjusted global comparative database to compute z scores from which centered proportions were summed to create the score. CRA cases were defined as individuals whose colonoscopy detected at least one pathologically confirmed adenomatous polyp. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A pro-inflammatory diet was not statistically significantly associated with elevated CRA risk (OR 1.07; 95% CI 0.97–1.19; p value = 0.18) in the multivariate regression model. NSAIDs use (ORnever-users 1.19; 95% CI 1.03–1.38; ORever-users 0.96; 95% CI 0.83–1.12; Pinteraction = 0.04) and race (ORAfrican Americans 1.22; 95% CI 1.03–1.44; OREuropean Americans 0.99; 95% CI 0.86–1.14; Pinteraction = 0.14) appeared to modify the association, whereas cigarette smoking and BMI did not (Pinteraction = 0.40 and 0.78, respectively). NSAIDs use and race may modify the diet-CRA association. Further investigation in prospective cohort studies is warranted to confirm these findings.

It has been remained a challenge to detect trace formaldehyde in complex samples, such as rice flour and duck blood products. In this study, a purge-trap device was designed and used for volatile target detection, which avoided interference adsorptions on enhanced particle surfaces during subsequent surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) analysis. The device produced a low detection limit for formaldehyde of 1 × 10−4 μg/mL in the concentration ranges of 4 × 10−3–4 μg/mL and 1 × 10−4–3 × 10−3 μg/mL. In the process of the detection of duck blood and rice flour, partial least squares regression (PLSR) was adopted for sample analysis. The formaldehyde concentration was calculated and compared to the actual value from the above model with R2 of 0.97, which indicated high accuracy and stability. These results suggested that the proposed method was reliable and suitable for rapid analysis of trace formaldehyde in real products.

Uterine tumor resembling ovarian sex cord tumor (UTROSCT) is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm, defined as benign tumors with occasional recurrence. In a recent article by Comert et al.[1], gene fusion transcripts were found to enhance the invasive ability of these tumors. A 33-year-old patient presented to our clinic with increased menstrual flow in 2005. The pathology suggested low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, revealed by hysteroscopy, which was subsequently treated with abdominal radical hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic lymph node dissection. The pathology revealed adenocarcinoma cells and metastasized lymph nodes. Consequently, chemotherapy and radiotherapy were performed 5 and 24 times, respectively.

A porous carbon absorbent was obtained by using high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) polymerization followed by high temperature carbonization under nitrogen protection. Graphene oxide (GO) and silica nanoparticles were doped into the HIPEs to enhance the adsorption ability and reusability. Fourier infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used for characterization and several parameters of separation and enrichment of trifluralin. The results showed that a hyper-crosslink framework material was obtained with abundant porous (pore size of about 30 μm) and a good adsorption and separation efficiency. The adsorption rate was up to 100% and trifluralin was completely eluted from the absorbent by 2.0 mL of an acetic acid-acetonitrile mixture. Graphical abstractSchematic representation of synthesis of porous carbon absorbent by GO and SiO

Comparing to the inactive and gas-poor normal lenticular galaxies (S0s) in the local universe, we study a barred star-forming S0 galaxy, PGC 34107, which has been observed by the Centro Astron\'{o}mico Hispano Alem\'{a}n (CAHA) 3.5-m telescope and the Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA). The spatially resolved ionized gas and molecular gas traced by $^{12}$CO(1-0), hereafter CO(1-0), show the similar distribution and kinematics to the stellar component with an off-center star-forming region, $\sim$380 pc away from the center. The resolved kinematics of molecular CO(1-0) emission reveals that there is a blueshifted (redshifted) velocity component on the receding (approaching) side of the galaxy along the stellar bar. This might provide a plausible evidence of non-circular motion, such as the bar-induced molecular gas inflow. The velocity of molecular gas inflow decreases with approaching towards the peak of the off-center star formation in the north, which might be associated with the inner Lindblad resonance (ILR). In addition to CO(1-0), we also detect the isotopic line of $^{13}$CO(1-0). Most $\rm H\alpha$, CO(1-0) and $^{13}$CO(1-0) emissions are concentrated on this northern star-forming region. We find that PGC 34107 follows the local stellar mass-metallicity relation, star-forming main sequence, and the Kennicutt-Schmidt law. The resolved and integrated molecular gas main sequence suggest that there is a higher gas fraction in the galaxy central region, which supports a scenario that the bar-induced gas reservoir provides the raw material, and subsequently triggers the central star formation., Comment: 18pages, 13figures, 1table, accepted by ApJ

Background Multitarget stool DNA (mt-sDNA) is an approved method for colon cancer screening that is especially relevant for patients who cannot undergo colonoscopy. Although the test performance has been evaluated in a large clinical trial, it was limited to a predominantly white population. Given differences in the epidemiology and biology of colon cancer in African American individuals, the authors sought to compare the performance of mt-sDNA between racial groups. Methods The authors prospectively identified patients aged ≥40 years who were referred for colonoscopy at an academic medical center and 2 satellite facilities. Prior to the colonoscopy, the authors collected stool for mt-sDNA and fecal immunochemical testing (FIT). They compared the sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristic curve between African American and white patients for the detection of advanced lesions or any adenoma. Results A total of 760 patients were included, 34.9% of whom were African American. The prevalence of any adenoma (38.9% for African American patients and 33.9% for white patients) and that for advanced lesions (6.8% and 6.7%, respectively) were similar between groups. The overall sensitivities of mt-sDNA for the detection of advanced lesions and any adenoma were 43% and 19%, respectively, and the specificities were 91% and 93%, respectively. In general, mt-sDNA was more sensitive and less specific than FIT. When stratified by race, the sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristic curve area were similar between African American and white patients for both mt-sDNA and FIT. Conclusions Test performance characteristics of mt-sDNA were comparable in African American and white patients. Given the lower uptake of colonoscopy in African American individuals, mt-sDNA may offer a promising screening alternative in this patient population.